Perfect 12

For the Ancients 12 was a perfect number. Much more than 10, since it
can be divided by 2, 3 and 4.

This game is simply a chess variant on a 12 x 12 board with 12 different
pieces. The balance doesn't stop here, just consider this:

there is the same number (18) of Pawns than other pieces

there are as many types of riders (Queen, Rook, Bishop, Gryphon)
than leapers (Knight, Camel, Elephant, Lion)

the piece density is 0.5 exactly as for Orthodox Chess.

Among the 12 kinds of pieces, 6 are the orthodoxe ones. The remaining
6 are like a best of very famous historic and asian variants: Camel is from
Tamerlane's
Chess , Gryphon is from Grande
Acedrex, Prince is fromCourier
and other medieval Chess, Cannon is from Xiang-Qi,
Lion is inspired by Chu
Shogi and Elephant is a slight modernization of the piece found
in Shatranj.

Players

Two.

Initial Setup

The board is a 12 x 12 checkered squares with a white one at the right end
of each player. For convenience, it can be divided into 16 sub-square showing
halves and quarters of this large battlefield: 12 is really a nice number for
a board.

The white King is placed on the center of the second row on a black square,
the black King beeing on a white square. The Queen is placed beside of the King.
The Lion and the Gryphon are on the center of the first row, the Lion just behind
the King.

Moves And Captures

King, Queen, Bishop, Knight and Rook are orthodox.

Pawn: the Pawn is almost similar to FIDE Chess. There are two
differences:
It can advance one or two square from ANY position on the board. However,
its capturing move is unchanged: one square diagonally forward. As a consequence,
the en-passant capture is possible every time the opposite Pawn has advanced
two squares.
When the Pawn reaches the last row it can promote to one of the three major
pieces: Queen, Lion or Gryphon.

Lion: the Lion is inspired from Chu
Shogi, the most popular variant of the Japanese Chess. This game
is also played on a 12 x 12 board and was mentioned as long ago as the twelfth
century and therefore predates modern Shogi by centuries. This Lion can
move to any of the 8 squares immediately adjacent (like a King) or jump
to any of the 16 squares two steps away. (Then this Lion has the same range
but is more restricted than the Lion in Chu Shogi which can move 2 times
in a turn).

Gryphon: this piece comes from the Grande
Acedrex, which is described in one of the very first game books in Western
Europe appeared in 1283, under `editorship' of the Spanish King Alphonso
X. This Libro del Acedrex contains many rules of old games. The Gryphon
moves one square diagonal, followed by an arbitrary number of squares horizontal
or vertical. It is authorized to go only one square diagonal. It may not
jump over other pieces, and the unobstructed path must start with the diagonal
movement.

Camel: a well known piece since medieval muslim great chess like
Tamerlane's
Chess. It jumps to the opposite case of a 2x4 rectangle, like an extended
Knight. No matter what intermediate cases contain. Note that it always stays
on the same color of square.

Cannon: borrowed from Xiang-Qi,
the Chinese Chess. It moves like a Rook and needs an intermediate piece
between itself and its victim to capture it. The Cannon jumps the intermediate
and takes the victim on its square. The intermediate is left unaffected.

Elephant: it is a modern extension of the Elephant found in Shatranj.
It moves 1 or 2 cases diagonally. It can jump over the first case if it
is occupied. This form is also used in other games from the same author
like Shako
and Tamerlane
II.

Prince: this piece is simply a non-royal King. It can be found
in medieval games like the Courier
chess , an old chess variant, played in Germany, where it is called
"Man". It moves one square in an arbitrary direction, like the
king, but without being hindered by check.

Castling: the King may `castle`
with the Rook if neither the Rook nor King has moved yet and there is nothing
in between them. In castling the King slides 3 squares to the Rook and the Rook
leaps to the far side of the King. You may not castle out of or through check,
or if the King or Rook involved has previously moved.

End Of Game

Victory is obtained when the opposite King is checkmated.

All other types of endgame (pat, perpetual check,...) are classic.

Pieces Value

Zillions gives these average values, normalized to 5 for the the Rook:

Remarks

The reader would certainly think that I am not modest, but I love this game.
I like it because it is really large, balanced, and because each one of the
new pieces have they own "character".

I had it in my mind for several months, I should say years ! The key to set
it up definitely has been the wonderful Zillions-of-games
program. Without such a tool, it would have been impossible for me to try all
the so many configurations I have tested.

I came to this final implementation at the end of April 99. It was not too
late to submit it to the Large Chess Variant Contest organized by David Howe
yet. However, I didn't do it since I had engaged Shako and Tamerlane II already.